The Madras High Court dismissed PhonePe’s trademark case against BundlePe, ruling that “Pe” is not a unique or exclusive element. The court stated that “Pe” is a commonly used term in the payment industry and its use by BundlePe does not amount to trademark infringement. The judgment emphasized that Rule 28 of the Trademark Rules allows Hindi-English transliteration, making “Pe” a legitimate representation of “Pay.” This ruling is a big blow to PhonePe’s exclusivity claims and a win for open competition in digital payments.
